Research Article

Teacher Well-being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-based Intervention for EFL Instructors

Volume: 9 Number: 1 May 5, 2026

Teacher Well-being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-based Intervention for EFL Instructors

Abstract

This study examines the impact of a positive psychology–based intervention on the subjective and professional well-being of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) instructors in the setting of higher education. Institutional restrictions and a structured experimental design with randomized group allocation divided 32 instructors from a university English Language Preparatory Program in Türkiye into experimental (n = 10) and control (n = 22) groups. The experimental condition was characterized by a seven-week intervention based on Seligman’s PERMA framework (2011). Data were collected using the PERMA Profiler and the Workplace PERMA Profiler as pre- and post-test measures. There were no significant between-group differences in subjective and professional well-being as determined by the statistical analyses. Even so, small effect sizes were identified for the selected PERMA dimensions, which may indicate that the trends did not progress to significance, as the intervention was brief and the sample size was small. These results provide important insight for teacher education, demonstrating the experimental evidence concerning the boundary conditions of short-term well-being interventions and calling for a longer-term, context-specific, and institutionally supported approach to teacher well-being. The current study deepens theoretical understanding of the conditions under which well-being interventions function in complex institutional environments. By providing rare experimental evidence and transparently reporting null results, this research advances a more ecologically grounded perspective on teacher well-being and helps shape the development of longer-term interventions in teacher education. The findings call into question the standalone effectiveness of short-term positive psychology interventions, suggesting that without structural support, their contribution to teachers’ well-being may remain partial and transient.

Keywords

Supporting Institution

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Ethical Statement

The study was reviewed by the Gazi University Institute of Educational Sciences Research and Publication Ethics Committee, and an ethics committee approval certificate dated 28.10.2024 and numbered 2024-1590 was issued. We hereby declare that the study does not involve any unethical issues and that research and publication ethics have been strictly observed.

References

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  5. Chaves, C., Iasiello, M., Kelly, D., & Hinchcliffe, G. (2023). Measuring workplace well-being: Validation of the Workplace PERMA Profiler in an Australian context. International Journal of Wellbeing, 13(1), 44–63. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v13i1.2220
  6. Collie, R. J. (2021). Teacher well-being and professional engagement: Examining the role of job demands and resources. Educational Psychology Review, 33, 1–27.
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Details

Primary Language

English

Subjects

Applied Linguistics and Educational Linguistics

Journal Section

Research Article

Publication Date

May 5, 2026

Submission Date

February 18, 2026

Acceptance Date

April 23, 2026

Published in Issue

Year 2026 Volume: 9 Number: 1

APA
Kahraman, E., & Cephe, P. T. (2026). Teacher Well-being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-based Intervention for EFL Instructors. Language Teaching and Educational Research, 9(1). https://doi.org/10.35207/later.1892557
AMA
1.Kahraman E, Cephe PT. Teacher Well-being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-based Intervention for EFL Instructors. LATER. 2026;9(1). doi:10.35207/later.1892557
Chicago
Kahraman, Esra, and Paşa Tevfik Cephe. 2026. “Teacher Well-Being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-Based Intervention for EFL Instructors”. Language Teaching and Educational Research 9 (1). https://doi.org/10.35207/later.1892557.
EndNote
Kahraman E, Cephe PT (May 1, 2026) Teacher Well-being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-based Intervention for EFL Instructors. Language Teaching and Educational Research 9 1
IEEE
[1]E. Kahraman and P. T. Cephe, “Teacher Well-being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-based Intervention for EFL Instructors”, LATER, vol. 9, no. 1, May 2026, doi: 10.35207/later.1892557.
ISNAD
Kahraman, Esra - Cephe, Paşa Tevfik. “Teacher Well-Being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-Based Intervention for EFL Instructors”. Language Teaching and Educational Research 9/1 (May 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.35207/later.1892557.
JAMA
1.Kahraman E, Cephe PT. Teacher Well-being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-based Intervention for EFL Instructors. LATER. 2026;9. doi:10.35207/later.1892557.
MLA
Kahraman, Esra, and Paşa Tevfik Cephe. “Teacher Well-Being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-Based Intervention for EFL Instructors”. Language Teaching and Educational Research, vol. 9, no. 1, May 2026, doi:10.35207/later.1892557.
Vancouver
1.Esra Kahraman, Paşa Tevfik Cephe. Teacher Well-being in Teacher Education: Evaluation of a Positive Psychology-based Intervention for EFL Instructors. LATER. 2026 May 1;9(1). doi:10.35207/later.1892557